Twisted
by belle-ny
Summary: Faux-Incest AU. Rumplestiltskin called Regina "his monster" and she wanted to show him who the real monster is. She promised him comfort during the curse, not peace. So the Dark One and his precious little maid were reunited, still madly in love and wildly attracted to each other... but she made them father and daughter. And to make matters worse, she made Belle a 16 year old girl.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Yes, this story is about consensual incest (albeit faux) between father and daughter, which I specifically mentioned in the summary. Yes, the daughter is underage (16 y/o, although it's the legal age in Maine), which I also mentioned in the summary. And yes, the story is rated "M" for a reason. So please consider all that again before reading. If you are triggered by any of the aforementioned, do not read. If you do decide to proceed, please keep in mind that I will welcome all and any feedback, but don't waste both our time telling me how incest is wrong, sick, disgusting etc. I DO realize that and I DO very much agree real life wise, but a) Gold and Belle aren't actually related here b) this is just a work of fiction…

 **000**

Richard Gold always loved and cherished his only child, daughter Isabella or Belle, like he took to calling her not long ago out of nowhere even though everybody else always called her Izzy or Bella. He treasured her, with wild abandon so. He might have been a little overprotective and slightly possessive. But that was not unheard of or even uncommon for a father of a teenage daughter in today's world.

But when did that pure, innocent platonic love turned into something else entirely? When did the air between him and Belle start becoming heavy and electrified every time they were alone in the room? When did he begin noticing things about her, he didn't before? Things like the scent of her skin that intoxicated him on the spot. And how plump her lips were to the point where he had to forcefully avert his gaze. Or how those washed out jeans clung to her newfound curves and the feeling of her breasts pressed against his chest when she hugged him. And when did his heart stop being the only thing that swelled at the thought of her?

Belle was a beautiful girl turning into an even more beautiful woman and he supposed there wouldn't be anything wrong with any of those things. After all, he was a healthy straight man with a regular sex drive. It would indeed be perfectly understandable if it weren't for the fact that she was only 16 and he was her father.

Was he always like that? Was this evil always in him? Lurking like a demon in the depths of his soul, waiting to take over and fill his heart with darkness?

Gold can't help but wonder sitting on the couch in his study. Although the answers hardly matter anymore, since he has already destroyed everything he ever held dear.

* * *

Previous night at Gold's household wasn't any different than those before in the course of the past few months. He came home late to spend as little time with Belle as possible. He grabbed a quick bite and gave her the usual excuse that he had a lot of work and was very tired. After Belle went to bed, obviously hurt over how more and more distant her father was becoming, he got hammered. These days the pawnbroker was drinking far more than ever in his life, hoping to find escape from his thoughts, desires and guilt that followed. Whether it would be in a drunken slumber or death of the cirrhosis of the liver, he didn't much care. However, Gold firmly believed he deserved the latter.

He went to bed leaning heavily at the wall in his hallway because his legs were threatening to give out at any second. Another now habitual thing was that Gold didn't use his cane for support at home. It hurt to walk without it, but he welcomed the pain as both the punishment and a distraction when Belle was around.

Alas, that night even drunken slumber didn't provide refuge. Belle was everywhere, even in his dreams. She came into his room in the middle of the night and crawled into bed next to him. For a few minutes Belle was just lying there, then Gold felt her fingers running through his hair and caressing a side of his face. It was soothing more than it was anything else, and Gold allowed himself to relax under her touch, finding comfort in it.

That was his first mistake.

Suddenly Belle moved closer and he felt her lips on his, light and timid. It wasn't the first time Gold dreamed about his daughter and Belle didn't do anything in particular to prompt him, but this time Gold decided to give in fully. He was so tired! So very, very tired to deny what he felt. And it was only a dream anyway. What harm could possibly come from a dream? And maybe if he fell into temptation just this once, it would work itself out of his system.

Mistake number two.

Gold wrapped his arms around Belle's waist and pulled her in tighter, deepening the kiss. She froze, but it wasn't long before her hands were all over him just as eager as his own. The clothes were shed as fast as was only possible in a dream state. Richard covered Belle with his now naked body and her quiet whimpers were the last thing his brain managed to register.

What harm could come from a dream?

None, unless it wasn't really a dream.

The time to pay for allowing himself a moment of weakness came with the morning light. Gold woke up, again as usual, with a bad hangover. He rubbed his face with his palms to chase off the remains of the dream, preparing for his morning routine: jerking off in the shower – after a dream like that he was sure to have a rock hard boner – and skipping breakfast with Belle under the pretense of having an early meeting with a client at the shop. Gold would then buy his coffee and omelet to go at Granny's on his way to work.

Suddenly, he felt something move next to him in bed. Gold held his breath and kept his eyes closed. He begged whatever entity was willing to listen to make it a hallucination.

Seconds ticked. Nothing.

Then Gold heard a quiet sigh.

He refused to look, dared not to. Unfortunately, he didn't have to. He knew. With tears already burning in his eyes he turned to see his naked daughter sound asleep at his side. Gold covered his mouth with a hand, afraid that an involuntary scream of horror would escape from his throat.

It wasn't a dream.

For some reason Belle really did come to his room at night, probably looking for a comfort or protection from a night terror and what she found was a real monster. A dark one and far more disgusting than any nightmare could conjure.

The next realization turned Gold's blood to ice and his heart nearly stopped. He was so drunk last night that now he couldn't even remember what exactly happened, what he did to Belle.

Was she in pain? Did she beg him to stop?

Gold felt like he was going to be sick, but coward he was, he knew he would die on the spot if he had to face his daughter right now like this.

By some unlikely, and most definitely undeserved, miracle he managed to get out of bed, put on the clothes from yesterday scattered over the floor and sneak out of the room without waking her.

The fates felt generous and Gold was able to drive to his shop without getting himself killed in a traffic accident, which he would've accepted as a blessing. He never opened the shop or turned the lights on that day, and eventually cried himself to sleep on the coat in the backroom.

When he woke up it was already twilight outside. A brief hope that all this would turn out to be a nightmare died before Gold's eyes even adjusted to the lack of light. He felt completely numb and hollow. His emotions seemed to have short-circuited after a major overload earlier and now he felt absolutely nothing. Only his cold, rational mind – ever restless, always scheming – was scrambling for a plan of action.

For awhile Gold contemplated blowing his brains out with the 38 he had locked in the drawer of his desk. But he realized he couldn't do that to Belle. Had no right to. He might have been a monster, but Gold was still her father and had to put Belle first. Belle's mother was gone and he couldn't leave her an orphan, adding another psychological trauma to what happened last night. He would have to look his daughter in the eye again and accept whatever followed. Maybe the police would already be waiting for him at his house?

The streets of Storybrooke were dark and deserted on his drive back home. Much like his soul, Gold mused.

When he entered through the front door, the house was dark and quiet too. Belle wasn't home yet. For the first time since he woke up in his shop Gold felt something – a relief. Pain, disgust, fear and all others followed right after.

Richard took a shower and changed. Then went to the study and locked the door. He sat on the couch with a glass of scotch, attempting to numb down his emotions while he waited for Belle to come home.

* * *

He failed miserably. That much is obvious with the questions and memories of the night before still buzzing in his mind. He blinks them away and notices that his glass is empty. He goes to pour himself another one when he hears the keys in the front door and stops in his tracks.

Belle stands still for a few moments apparently listening to check if he is anywhere in the house. Then Gold hears her footsteps on the stairs and the sound of her bedroom door opening.

He came home ready to face his daughter as well as the consequences of what he did to her, but now Gold can't move. He is cowering although he knows far well he won't be able to hide from her forever. He takes a gulp from the second drink.

Sudden knock on the door nearly makes him jump up in the air. Of course Belle had to come find him herself. She was always brave. A lot braver than him and definitely much braver than one would expect a 16-year old girl to be in these circumstances. A little warrior, she was never the one to run and hide.

He is.

"Da…-" Belle stumbles on the word and pauses as if unable to get it out anymore. " _Richard_ , are you there?" She asks quietly.

She is right, Gold thinks. He lost the right to be called ' _dad'_. And it didn't even happen last night. It happened the first time he looked at his daughter and felt desire poisoning his blood.

"I know you're there. You can't keep avoiding me! Please open up." She knocks again, more insistently this time.

Gold downs the rest of the drink. His legs still refuse to move.

"Richard, please! We need to talk!"

Belle isn't giving up and he can't take neither the knocking nor her pleas anymore.

"Belle, go away! I beg of you!" Gold shouts, a tear running down his face.

"Please let's talk. Please open up!" The knocking starts again.

Gold snaps. He throws his empty glass at the wall and all but strides to the door.

"What?" He flings the door open. "What is it that you wanna talk about?"

"Why are you hiding from me?" Belle utters through the tears.

"Isn't it obvious? The question is, why aren't _you_ hiding from me? Why aren't you down at the station, telling Sheriff Graham to lock your sick pervert of father for the rest of his days?" Gold's words are dripping with self-loathing. "How can you even stand being in the same room with me after what I did to you, Belle?" His voice breaks. Gold can't bear to look her in the eyes and averts his.

The look on his face, contorted with sheer torment, shutters Belle's heart into even smaller pieces. This is the man she loves in every way imaginable and it's killing Belle to see what her recklessness did to him. Belle is beginning to hate herself for crawling into his bed last night. Yes, her life lately has been a living hell and she was dying for even a short relief from the feelings haunting her. But at least she was in hell alone. Now she dragged the man who gave her everything down with her.

"You didn't do anything wrong." She mutters stubbornly.

Gold's eyes shoot back up to hers. Can it be true? Can it be that nothing happened?

But the weak flicker of hope dies as fast as it was born.

"You were naked in my bed when I woke up this morning." Gold feels like even a bigger scum now, because apparently his daughter is trying to lie about what happened to ease his guilt.

"I didn't say that nothing happened, I said you didn't do anything wrong."

"Whaa…" Gold breathes barely audible.

"I came into your room last night because I…-" Belle swallows nervously, gathering her courage, "-…because I wanted you. I've been fighting these feelings for about a year now and I couldn't live like that anymore. So, I came to tell you that your daughter was a freak, in love with her own father and that you should have me locked up at the asylum." Belled sobs.

As shocked as he is, Gold's instincts immediately urge him to hug and comfort her. He forces himself to stay still afraid that Belle might literally break of he touches her right now.

She takes a deep breath and continues, "When I crawled onto the bed, I realized that you were drunk and asleep. I stroked your face and was going to leave, but then…-" She shuts her eyes and turns away from him as embarrassment takes the better of her, "… I don't know what came over me, but I thought I could at least know what it felt like to kiss you and there would be no harm done since you were asleep anyway."

Gold can't help but let out a little mirthless laugh and shake his head at the irony. They both made the same mistake. They both gave in because they both believed the other person would never know.

"Belle…" Gold calls making her look at him again and offers a little smile in support, encouraging her to go on. He finally collected himself and intends to hear the whole truth about that night.

"I kissed you and suddenly you pulled me down, kissing me back. I was startled at first and I knew it wasn't right because you were drunk and couldn't fully understand what you were doing… "

Gold laughs louder this time, interrupting her. Belle is worried about _his_ consent? She thinks _she_ did something wrong?! The degree to which he doesn't deserve her - in any capacity - is impossible to put into words.

"My darling Belle." He breathes completely lost, for words and in general.

"Please forgive me!" She bursts suddenly. "I know I should have stopped you, but I couldn't. I wanted you, wanted to forget that it was wrong and impossible." Belle's entire body starts shaking with her sobs and this time Gold can't stop himself. He wraps his arms around her and presses Belle against his chest.

"I have nothing to forgive you for, Belle. None of what happened is your fault. You're not a freak, I am! I'm a sick man who lusted after my own daughter all this time and ended up corrupting her."

"No!" Belle pushes him away, breaking their embrace. "I don't know who first made us related and then thought it was fun to give us our feelings - if it was fate, God, Devil or someone else, but they are the sick one not you or me!" Belle shouts.

Gold is astounded. He searches Belle's eyes for a few long moments, and what he sees there terrifies him more than anything ever has till this point.

"Belle…" He takes an unconscious step back. "Belle, no! You can't possibly think that we… we can't! I'm your father! It's… it's…" He mumbles, struggling for words.

"It's what?" Belle asks with a challenge in her voice. Finding out that she didn't take advantage of her father's drunken state and the fact that all this time he was fighting the very same losing battle with his feelings, fills her with newfound strength and determination. "Depraved? Twisted? Fucked up? One of the biggest social taboos?" She comes closer to Gold, invading his personal space. "You don't think that I've already told all these and other things to myself more times than I can count during all those sleepless nights crying alone in my room? It still didn't change the way I feel about you. I love you!"

"No!" Gold is shaking his head furiously. "We can't! I can't!"

She isn't budging, staring him down.

"Belle, please! Come back to your senses!"

"Why? So we can keep pretending that nothing is going on? Or you're going to tell me that you don't want me?" She quirks her head and narrows her eyes.

"Belle…" This time it's a warning as much as a plea. That question is a low blow, as the opposite is evident from last night, and she knows it.

"Honestly tell me how you feel for once." She demands.

Gold clenches his jaw, staring back at her without making a sound.

"Tell me, do you love me?" Belle's voice trembles and its tone becomes softer. "And I don't mean like a daughter. Are you in love with me?"

"Yes! God forgive me, yes!" Gold yields and a strained groan escapes his throat. "I do love you and I want you. I can't even remember the time I didn't anymore."

Belle smiles and takes another step toward him. Now they are breathing the same air.

His resolve is breaking. Richard can physically sense it crumbling. His heart starts racing and heat rushes through his veins, pooling in his lower abdomen. "I'm going to burn in hell for this." Gold says matter-of-factly to himself rather than Belle.

"I'll be there too to keep you company." Belle breathes against his lips.

"No!" Gold protests and pulls away, sobered up by the realization he is making Belle an accomplice in his crime. And it is his crime. There is no two ways about it in his mind. He is an adult, he's her father and the figure of authority who is supposed to have the power to stop anything like this from happening. Except that he doesn't. "There is no guilt of yours here! You're an angel, you deserve heaven!"

"Then make me feel like I'm already there." She whispers, her eyes dark and piercing. "Like you did last night."

Gold is gone.

He attacks Belle's mouth with the ferocity of a man driven over the edge, trying to consume her, wanting to become one with her.

Belle welcomes the assault, just as desperate for his taste, for his touch. Gold pushes her back up against the wall of his study without breaking the kiss for a split second. There is no finesse in it, all teeth and tongues. His hands, suddenly restless, start wandering over her body. Tiny moans in the back of Belle's throat are the only approval he needs to proceed.

Belle feels Gold's hardness through the layers of clothing and rocks against it in impatience. She has her usual shorts and a tank top on that she normally wears around the house and one of Gold's hands sneaks inside the waistband. He groans at how wet she is for him. Belle mewls, arching into the touch and if Richard had doubts about how far he would go with this tonight there aren't any now.

He breaks the kiss and starts pushing Belle's shorts down, but something stops him, yet again, and he looks into her eyes.

Belle nods in response to the unspoken question.

Immediately, Gold pulls her shorts along with the underwear all the way down to the floor and Belle steps out of them. As soon as he is standing again, Belle goes to unbuckle his pants, making his erection throb with her fumbling. The pants fall to the floor and Richard's boxers follow suit. They don't even bother to undress each other from the waist up. The itching urgency both are overcome with doesn't allow for it. Gold's hand snakes down Belle's left thigh and under the knee, he pulls her leg up positioning it around his thigh. Seconds later, he's pushing inside her.

Gold's memories from the previous night are a blur, but this! This, now… It's crystal clear and he revels in how tight and hot Belle is around his cock. They fit together perfectly, as if they are molded for each other. Having her feels like coming home, like this is exactly the way it is meant to be.

Belle is still a bit sore after last night – everything happened too unexpectedly and Gold was too drunk to ready her properly. In their current state of frenzy, foreplay is out of the question to begin with and it hurts a little when Richard increases the pace. Yet, the thought of asking him to stop or slow down doesn't even cross her mind. She needs this, needs him, needs the release more than she needs to breathe at this moment.

Gold smothers Belle with kisses, every bit of her his mouth can reach – her lips, jaw, neck, collar bones…

"BelleMyDarlingMyDearestBelleOhGodsBelleOhMyBelle…" He incants against her skin like his own personal mantra, thrusting into her as a man possessed.

Belle whimpers with her head thrown back and both her legs wrapped around Richard's middle now. She can't remember when that happened, but the new angle is a welcome change and she clings to his shoulders for dear life - she is getting so close it's almost unbearable.

"Yes…I Feel…OhGod…Yes…I need…MoreYes…God…Yes…There…Oh..."

Then Gold bites down on her pulse point hard enough to draw blood. Belle is certain there will be an angry mark there, but she is too far gone to care. In the next moment her world explodes in a bright flash of light, blowing away all her thoughts, fears and worries. Belle's inner walls clench sending pulsing pleasure through her rigid body. In this hot white haziness Belle vaguely registers it when Richard comes moments later, shuddering and grunting her name one last time. She is sated, finally free and unburdened.

For awhile ragged breathing is the only sound in the room. They remain joined, with Richard still buried deep within Belle's heated womanhood. Then he slips out of her and she is gently lowered to the floor.

Their eyes meet.

Gold looks at Belle, studying her face as if he sees her for the first time. His eyes fall upon her now swollen lips. It's still not enough. He still craves her closeness. Gold looks up again and finds that Belle's own stare is switching between his mouth and his eyes. Somewhat uncertain, Gold is leaning down. He has just all but devoured Belle against that wall, yet, somehow, this kiss seems more intimate. And it feels like it's their first too. Things are different now than they were just minutes ago.

He softly brushes her lips with his and Belle opens up for him immediately, teasing his lower lip with her tongue. Richard deepens the kiss and Belle's hands tangle in his hair, holding him in place. Now that the urgency is gone, Gold can kiss her slowly, properly, till they're both breathless again.

He ends the kiss gently and rests his forehead on hers without opening his eyes. Gold lets out a deep heavy sigh, he didn't know he was holding, and tries to find something – anything – to say.

Belle smiles. Her eyes are shut too, but she knows exactly what is running through Richard's mind. She always does.

"I'm okay." She whispers softly, cupping his face.

Gold finally looks at her.

"We're okay. This is okay." She reassures.

Gold realizes there is nothing even remotely _'okay'_ about what is happening. He's just had sex with his 16-year old daughter. Again. And it isn't even the most appalling or perverted part. It's the fact that this time it doesn't feel neither appalling nor perverted at all. It feels good and he knows there is no way back for them now. Belle isn't his little girl anymore. She is the woman, his wicked love for which he'll never be able to excuse or at least rationalize to himself.

No, there is nothing _'okay'_ about any of it. But he also realizes that what brought this on – what they felt for each other, tried to fight and fell pray to – is the force of nature, unstoppable and inescapable. And neither of them really had a say in the matter.

No, there most definitely is nothing _'okay'_ about their situation. But he'll take it. _'Okay'_ will have to do… for now.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning finds Gold making breakfast for Belle and himself, which he hasn't done in a while. And he is going to share it with her before going to the shop, which he hasn't done in even a longer while.

Last night, after what happened in the study, he and Belle talked for some time. But the previous events were taking their tall. They both felt physically and emotionally drained and decided to go to bed early. Belle asked to sleep with him in his bed. Being an emotional wreck herself, Belle both didn't want to leave Gold one on one with his thoughts and needed the comfort of his presence as well. But Gold insisted they spent the night separately. Too much was happening too fast and he felt it was best to take a step back to have a breather; to gather their thoughts and get a better perspective. Reluctantly Belle agreed, perhaps because she saw the reason in his words. Or maybe because she just didn't want to push anything.

When he woke up this morning, Gold had no idea how to go about their new "peculiar" situation and elected to go with the familiar. Hence was making the breakfast.

Pancakes with maple syrup are Belle's favorite and that's what Gold is making when the still sleepy beauty in her pajamas emerges in the kitchen.

"Morning." She murmurs and goes to kiss Richard on the lips.

"Morning, love." He, in turn, goes to give her a kiss on the forehead.

They end up bumping into each other and opt for an awkward smile. Belle pours herself a cup of coffee and sits down at the table. Richards looks deliberately busy with the pancakes, but Belle notices him sneaking peeks at her out of the corner of his eye.

"You know, you don't have to do that." She says softly.

"Do what?"

"Feel like you're walking on egg shells around me or steal concerned looks at me as if I'm a ticking bomb. I told you last night, we're fine."

Gold sighs, turns off the stove and sits at the table next to her.

"I know, but you do seem to be coming to terms with this whole thing a lot faster than I am. Maybe a little too fast."

"Well, like I told you yesterday, I had about a year to obsess over what I felt and why I felt the way I did. I guess, I'm just exhausted and I want to take things as they are."

"A year?" He hums. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, sweetheart. I'm so sorry you had to suffer alone."

"I don't think you could've done anything, except probably have a major freak out even if I mastered the courage to tell you." Belle gives him a fond smile and Gold laughs realizing she's right.

Pause hangs for a few seconds, but Gold can't help himself. He needs to ask her. "What was it, Belle?" He takes her hands in his. "Where did I go wrong? What did I do to make you feel this way about me?" He pleads.

"What did _I_ do to make you feel this way about me?" Belle counters, arching an eyebrow.

"Nothing." Richard exhales, his shoulders sinking. "You didn't do anything to provoke it."

"See?" Belle smiles lovingly. "You really need to stop trying to take the blame. If you want to blame someone, blame me. I was the one who came into your bed at night while you were drunk, wanting things I knew I wasn't supposed to have. I was the one who demanded you let me in last night when you tried to stay away, but I was just too selfish to let you."

"No, Belle, no!" He dismisses softly and presses a chaste kiss to the corner of her mouth. "I would never blame you!" He swears.

"Then let's stop driving ourselves and each other mad with these questions. I'm so tired of feeling guilty and ashamed! I can't do this anymore!"

"But we have to find a way to deal with this, Belle."

"Let's just wait till I turn 18 and graduate from school and then leave this damn place. We can change our names and live together openly on some secluded farm where no one will know or bother us. Or we can move to Canada."

"You can't hide an ugly secret like that behind a pretty white picket fence. Belle, no matter where we go and what kind of aliases we take, I'll still be your father and you'll still be my daughter. We can't escape from that by changing the address."

"Can you change how you feel about me?"

"If I could we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

"What other choice do we have then? Stay here and pretend for the rest of our lives, constantly looking around afraid that someday someone might accidentally catch us? Or you want me to move away to some boarding school and only let you know I'm still alive in a message every now and then?"

"Of course not!" The very thought of parting with Belle is both ridiculous and terrifying to Gold.

"Then what? Ho can we be together and not _be_ together? You know we'll never be able to go back to the way things used to be. Not after yesterday. Wouldn't you rather we lie to the outside world about what we are than ourselves?"

"I… I don't know, Belle." Gold closes his eyes and lowers his head. Something in him fights against the idea. Maybe everything. "No, Belle." He looks up at her. "What you're suggesting is pure insanity." Richard lets go of her hands and gets out of the table. "It's just wrong. I can't be so selfish and ruin your future like that, Belle. I don't know how to explain why what happened did happen or why we feel this way about each other, but I want you to have a normal life. If there's still even a slightest chance we can turn the page on this, we gotta try." He says, searching her eyes for understanding.

"So, first you fuck me against the wall like there is no tomorrow and now you wanna play a loving father again?" Belle utters in disbelief.

"I am your loving father!" Gold raises his voice hurt. And it's not Belle's cynical remark that cuts so deep, but the truth behind her words. Richard knows he can never have back what he lost last night.

"Yeah, loving father in more ways than one." Belle scoffs.

Richard glares at her for a few moments. "This conversation is over. The pancakes are on the counter, syrup's in the fridge and I'm going to work."

"Have a nice day, _daddy_." Belle spits when she hears him open the front door and wipes two little wet trails off her cheeks. How is she supposed to have a normal life if she's not normal? She never was.

And just like that they're back to square one.

Gold comes home late every night again and they barely talk or even look at each other. He still gets drunk before going to bed, although not as drunk as the night he and Belle first had sex, because now he has even less reasons to trust himself around her. He still hates himself and tries his damnedest to chase away the thoughts about Belle. And he still can't.

There are, however, new occurrences as well. Now Belle comes home later and later every night too. She starts wearing a lot more make up and the kind of clothes that would make her blush before. And more often than not Gold hears young male voices outside before she enters through the front door and it's a different voice every time.

Gold is angry. He tells himself that it's not because he's jealous, but because it's a school night and Belle's studies might suffer. Richard doesn't say or do anything. He hopes it's just a phase, Belle's way of coping with what happened between them and that it'll be over soon.

His patience runs out one night when the muffled voices and giggling coming from the outside start to seem like Belle will never bid goodnight to her company. Gold can see both their blurred figures through the glass mosaic in the window of his front door. He begins pacing the living room, trying to get a hold of himself. Then he sees Belle leaning against the door, two obviously male hands placed on her upper thighs and everything turns red.

In seconds Gold is at the door and jerks it open, nearly causing Belle and her companion to fall through and into the hallway. He hisses at the guy to scurry off to wherever the hell he came from, which the shocked kid immediately proceeds to doing. Gold then grabs Belle's forearm and drags her inside, slamming the door shut behind her.

Before he manages to say anything, Belle twists out of his grip. She looks daggers at him and strides to the kitchen. Gold follows and finds her by the open fringe door, drinking coke from the bottle.

"I thought I told you not to drink from the bottle. The glasses are on the shelf right next to you." He grumbles to buy himself time and figure out how to better go about the situation.

Belle laughs and closes the fridge. "Sorry, _daddy_." She singsongs in a fake sweet voice.

Belle only uses that word as sarcasm now. But every time she does, Gold feels like she slapped him in the face, which, he supposes, is the exact point. He takes a deep breath, struggling to calm down and not make matters worse.

"What is this, Belle?" He gestures at her from head to toe, referring to the black pumps, fishnet stockings and sparkling purple mini dress Belle has on as well as her attitude.

"This what? You're the one who wanted me to have a normal life. Is dressing provocatively and staying out late not normal for a teenage girl?"

"I know what you're doing." Gold points an accusing finger at her. "Parading yourself scantily clad in front of me? Running around with boys?" He gives her a meaningful look. "It's not gonna work. You're not gonna make me jealous."

"You self-centered bastard." Belle says under breath, shaking her head. "You think it's all about you?"

"Watch your mouth, I'm still your father!" He warns.

"Yeah, you keep repeating that." Belle says, suddenly quiet and distant. "Never mind, not gonna happen again." Belle feels treacherous tears coming and turns to leave.

Gold catches her wrist making the girl stop and turn to him again. "We're not done."

"Yes, we are."

Sheer sorrow and defeat on her face tear him from inside. Gold realizes that no matter what he does he still ends up hurting the one person he treasures most and guilt floods his entire being. Pain and anger start swarming inside him with a new intensity and, then, turn into something else – desperate, agonizing and all consuming.

He truly is a monster.

Gold's breathing quickens and his eyes darken almost to the point of being completely black. They bore through Belle and for a second she's actually frightened – of him or for him, she isn't sure.

Before she knows it, Gold pulls Belle in and catches her lips with his. His tongue immediately invades Belle's mouth, making her yelp. It's a surprise, not a protest, and Belle overcomes it quickly. She kisses back and wraps her arms around Richard's neck. Gods, how she missed him! Belle presses herself as tight against Richard as she can, trembling and aching to feel him again.

Suddenly, Gold starts to pull away and Belle decides she won't let him deny her tonight. She holds him firmly in her embrace while carefully nudging him toward the kitchen table. She breaks the kiss only to hop on it.

"Belle…" Gold calls breathless.

"Please… I need you."

Even if he wasn't already painfully hard Belle's heated whisper and lust coated eyes would do the job. Gold wasn't about to turn her down, he just wanted to do things right this time – as much as _'right'_ could be applicable to their situation – and take her to the bedroom.

Apparently Belle has other ideas and Gold silently votes in favor of whatever is on her mind resuming the kiss.

Pants and a dark dress shirt are all of Gold's regular three-piece formal attire he's wearing tonight. Top two buttons are undone and Belle sets to unbutton it completely. Once the task is accomplished Gold shrugs it off his shoulders. Mesmerized, the girl gazes upon his upper torso and licks her lips. Gold is watching her intently, rooted in place. Belle lovingly traces his chest with the tips of her fingers making him swallow hard. She then places a few kisses to his abdomen. The touch of her lips is light and tender, but that only fuels the desire inside of him all the more.

His pants and briefs are the next to go leaving him exposed to Belle's widened eyes. She carefully takes his shaft in hand and experimentally strokes up and down a few times. It's an embarrassingly needy sound that escapes him as a result of her ministrations and Richard can't stay still anymore. He kisses Belle with a renewed fervor. His hands go to the zipper on the back of her dress and undo it with a practiced mastery. Gold pulls the dress up and off over her head and Belle lies back down on the table in front of him. He needs a moment to take the picture in and admire her, then, he takes off her panties, leaving Belle completely bare.

Gold starts at the knee level and kisses the front of her thighs going up. He stops above the triangle of black curls and deeply inhales the scent of her arousal. His eyes close. He wants to taste her, but he's still conflicted deep inside, still doesn't feel comfortable to ask his Belle for something like that.

He continues kissing his way up Belle's abdomen and through the hollow between her breasts while gently spreading her legs further apart with his palms to step closer in between them.

He lavishes each little pink nipple with devoted attention until Belle is wreathing and keens, unable to take this sweet torture for a moment longer. She doesn't have to say a word, the look in her eyes speaks loud and clear.

Gold is hovering over her now, bracing himself on the elbow of one hand, he uses the other one to align them. He holds Belle's gaze and lightly brushes her folds with the tip of his cock. She's all melted butter and he gently enters her in one smooth stroke.

Belle gasps. This time there are no painful sensations and her body welcomes being filled with him.

Richard starts moving, slowly speeding up the rhythm, all while covering her neck and her chest with kisses, licks and nibbles.

Belle moans, too overtaken to reciprocate anything of what Richard is doing or even make a coherent word. Gold can't help but marvel at the beauty sprawled beneath him – skin flushed, eyes closed and lower lip trapped between her teeth. He begins thrusting harder and faster as they climb the peak. Belle bucks her hips meeting him every time and burning need for release starts twisting his insides. He knows he won't last much longer and, judging by the way Belle is digging her nails into his lower back, she's almost there too. Gold sneaks a hand in between them and finds her swollen clit. He's circling it gradually increasing the pressure and it's not long before Belle arches her back and shudders, dragging him over the edge too. His orgasm is so powerful that Gold is almost lightheaded. He drops his head on her chest and it takes an extra effort on his part to not let himself go limp and crush Belle with his weight.

It's a few minutes before he's able to come down from his heights. Gold looks up at Belle and sees tears brimming her eyes. The sigh is immediately sobering.

"Belle! Oh God! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have… I thought you wanted to…" He mumbles helplessly.

Belle shakes her head. "No, no, it's not that. I did. I'm crying because I'm happy. Ever since that day you told me we couldn't be together it felt like I lost you. It seemed so easy for you to shut me out of your life again and I missed you. And I don't mean just your touch."

Richard thinks his heart is about to burst with everything he's feeling in that moment. He begins planting butterfly kisses to Belle's face and murmuring sweet comforting nothings until she's kissing back and he feels a smile spreading across her lips.

"What do you say if we take a short break?" Gold proposes as his odd half-standing half-lying position on top of her is straining his muscles. "You go upstairs and change. I go to my room and do the same, then clean up the mess we just made here and make us some tea?" He asks, tenderly stroking her cheek with a thumb.

"I'll meet you in the living room in fifteen minutes." She grins sheepishly, and Gold helps her hop off the table.

When Belle comes down Gold is already sitting on the couch, waiting, and two cups of tea are steaming on the coffee table. For a few moments she stands in the doorway, awkwardly shifting in her feet until he meets her eyes.

Belle washed off her make up and is now wearing a t-shirt and pajama bottoms. She looks so much more like herself that Gold can help a little fond smile. He reaches a hand out in invitation and Belle comes to sits down next to him.

"Belle, first of all, I'd like to ask you a question." He starts uneasy. "I've been meaning to ever since we… uh, I guess I didn't know how or was afraid to bring it up."

"Yes?"

"When we…um, we didn't use any protection and…"

Belle smiles and puts one of her hands on his thigh, interrupting Richard to put him out of his misery. She knows exactly what he's concerned about. "Don't worry, I've been on the pill for a while now. I started taking it long before anything happened between us."

"But… why?" Gold narrows his eyes.

"Because I was sexually active?" Belle offers and Richard is visibly dumbstruck. He's not asking any questions, but Belle can practically hear them buzzing in the air. There aren't many secrets left between them, so she might as well go ahead and tell Richard the last part of the story he doesn't know.

"Um… like I told you, I had a year to drive myself crazy over what I was feeling for you and why. I thought, rather hoped actually, that maybe it was as simple as puberty – you know, raging hormones and all. I mean, at some point it got so bad that I couldn't even sit next to you on the couch while we were watching a movie without getting… um, erhm, anyway, I thought that maybe I was only drawn to you because you were the only man I was ever close with or cared about. So, I tried getting close to someone else." She pauses. Gold is quiet, gawking at Belle without even blinking and she continues.

"The first guy's name was Gaston, a jock from my school. He's been pining after me for some time. We dated for a couple of months until I got painfully bored with him. Um, the second one was Keith, he was a college freshman who worked in summer as a bar tender at this place called Rabbit Hole. Pretty much right after we started going out I caught him cheating and he acted like I was the one with the problem because he never said we were exclusive. Needless to say, neither of them changed how I felt about you and they both were just a waste of time, - " Belle raises an eyebrow and adds, " – from any perspective…"

The last thing almost makes Gold break a smirk – he was once an inadequate youngster himself.

"After that I decided to go back to self help, but remained on the pill nonetheless just in case."

"Self help? As in books?"

Belle snickers. Richard is a very sharp-minded man, but he can be surprisingly ignorant about certain things at times. Belle always found that endearing. "No, as in taking matters into my own hands." She gives him a meaningful look.

"You mean… oh…"

"Hm."

"And while you were… um… you were thinking about… "

"You." She confirms quietly, chewing on her lower lip.

They had sex not half an hour ago and she's just told him she'd been intimate with other people, but it's this admission that makes her blush violently and concentrate all her attention on the carpet under their feet.

Gold feels a pang of jealousy knowing that someone else touched his Belle. Someone obviously incapable of appreciating her the way she deserves as well as the fact that they could just be with her without any obstacles or struggles and it angers him too. But those emotions are quickly superseded by another onset of guilt for the fact that he had no idea what was happening in Belle's life all this time. How much more of her life did he miss while drowning himself in self-pity and booze?

Richard seems lost in thought. And Belle is uncertain whether he's processing her words or simply doesn't know what to say next, but the pause is stretching too long and it's becoming too much.

Finally, she caves in. "So… um, what are you thinking?" She looks up at him again. "What you wanna do… about us?"

Gold holds her gaze for a few long moments, weighting everything one last time. What he finds has been there all along, he just couldn't accept it.

He sighs deeply, "All I know is that I love you in every way known to men. You're my world, nothing matters more to me than you."

"Does it mean you agree to what I suggested earlier?"

"Yes, love. If you still want me, we'll leave this town after you graduate from high school."

"I love you too." She beams and throws her arms around Gold's neck.

* * *

It's an utter amazement to Richard Gold that not only the world doesn't end when he and Belle cross the line they weren't even supposed to approach, but also how quickly life returns on its usual track after that. He is still going to the pawnshop every morning and Belle is still going to school. He still makes dinner every evening and they still have small light conversations over it. Only now they share a bed after that and he has to fight tooth and nail to shut down the part of him that's raging against it all, reminding him that it's his own daughter that moans his name at night and then falls asleep in his arms in the darkness. Gold is successful most days. After all, he _is_ the monster of this town.

Two weeks pass and while on his monthly rent round at Granny's, Gold sees a young blond woman he's never seen in Storybrooke before. Then, he overhears her name.

"Swan, Emma Swan."

"Emma…"An invisible dam in his mind explodes and memories of another life – another world! – come crushing in like a tidal wave. Everything changes within mere seconds.

When he exits from Granny's, Gold knows he and Belle will not be leaving Storybrooke to live as a couple at some secluded little cottage. He now also knows who made them believe they were related while still feeling the way they always have for each other, and he's not Rumplestiltskin if he isn't going to make Regina pay! Dearly.


End file.
